24 March 2013

And The Bells Will Ring...

Today is Palm Sunday and for Christians all over the world, the beginning of Holy Week.

In Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris there is to be another celebration when the bells will tow: During the aftermath of the Revolution, the French Republic 'ordered the removal of some 10,000 bells from the
belfries of France to be melted down and made into cannons and coins.A 13-ton bourdon bell named Emmanuel, the biggest bell of the cathedral, remains to
this day, but the other nine were destroyed, later replaced by a set of
four bells that Parisians have cursed for more than a century.In
the coming days, Emmanuel will get new company, a set of nine new bells,
eight of which were cast by Cornille-Havard. They will ring from the
850-year-old cathedral in time for Palm Sunday Mass.'

Palm Sunday,
the first Sunday of Holy Week within Lent is a time we remember Jesus'
triumphant arrival in Jerusalem. The Jews welcomed Jesus as their King
and sang "Hosanna to the son of David; Blessed is he who comes in the name
of the Lord!"

It
is also called Fig Sunday because traditionally figs were eaten on that
day to memorialize the fig tree cursed by Christ after his entry into
Jerusalem.In
England Palm Sunday is also called Olive or Branch Sunday and sometime
Sallow or Willow, Yew or Blossom Sunday or even Sunday of the Willow
Boughs.

And in Hereford and Worcester it is still customary after morning church services for Priests to pass out also Pax cakes
and say: "God and good neighbourhood" or "Peace and Goodwill". This
tradition goes back to 1570 and was in fact established by a local
landowner in preparation for Holy Week.

Grease a heated skillet or griddle. Pour batter from jug onto the hot griddle in3 to 5 cm diameter dollops. Turn the pax cakes when bubbles show.Heat on the second side until brown.Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon if desired.Makes 30-50 pax cakes.

(Previously posted in April 2011)May His light shine upon you and yours always!

2 comments:

I have not but have heard them and never thought them to be so loud. Maybe because I was down the river?Still, I remember more than one lovely church bells in the English countryside and those are the ones I miss!Happy Spring Merle!